Carpometacarpal dislocations: report of five cases and review of the literature.

Carpometacarpal dislocations occur in less than 1% of hand injuries. Since 1973, five cases were treated at Henry Ford Hospital. Three of the dislocations were unstable and required internal fixation. Of these dislocations only one needed open reduction. The other two dislocations were successfully treated by closed reduction and cast immobilization. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 13 months. Three patients were asymptomatic, and the other two, both of whose injuries had been treated by internal fixation, reported pain with activity.